2 strokes ain't dead YET...

[Red_Chili]

Easy on the nitrous there, Turbo...
Lest you think only a 4 stroke awaits in your future:

From Business Report Daily :

Envirofit signs contract with city in Philippines
Originally published 2006-01-05 00:00:00
FORT COLLINS - Envirofit International Ltd. signed a formal
memorandum of understanding with the northeastern Philippine city of
Vigan.
The agreement outlines plans to retrofit the city's entire fleet of
about 3,000 two-stroke engine powered tricycle taxis with
Envirofit's technology.
Envirofit, a Fort Collins-based non-profit, developed a method to
affordably retrofit two-stroke engines. Carbureted two-stroke engine
motorcycles are a popular mode of transportation in Africa and Asia.
They are often equipped with sidecars and used as taxis.
Two-stroke engines, while superior for power, are highly pollutant
and fuel inefficient. The process that powers the engine results in
a 35 percent loss in fuel that is not burned. The technology used
for the retrofitting is a direct fuel injection system, which is
more efficient and cleaner.
The direct fuel injection motors are already available on the
market; they are common in scooters in Europe and outboard motors in
the U.S. However, these are only available with new products, which
are out of reach for users in developing nations.
In turn for the retrofit of its fleet, the city of Vigan will
provide low-cost loans to tricycle taxi drivers to cover the initial
cost of the retrofit. Due to savings from increased fuel efficiency,
the loans could be paid back within one year, according to an
Envirofit press release.
In addition to bringing its technology to Vigan, Envirofit will
boost the local economy by adding about 20 employees to its
operations there.
Envirofit also announced today the results of its field test in
Manila, Philippines. The final results showed that retrofits on
three small fleets of tricycle-taxis reduced carbon monoxide
emissions by 75 percent and hydrocarbon emissions by 88 percent.
Additionally, the engines improved fuel efficiency by 30 percent and
oil efficiency by 50 percent.

 

[duke]

I am suspicious of the major bike manufacturers embracing this technology since it would rejuvenate interest in 2 stroke bikes for off road use, especially here in Kalifornia where new 2 strokes are regimented to but a few months a year. This would be a course of direction counter productive to the manufacturers efforts in proliferating the owernership of exotic 4 strokes, machines whose owners must constantly pay out monies to a dealer to sustain its operation. The manufacturers have a great plan afront, offer a camp ground level machine to get you sucked into the sport, then make the next level of performance machine to be one fraught with high cost and maintenance. "Who wants a simple durable, fast bike?" With all the talk of Husky's street legal TE series, imagen what would happen if your KDX could be ridden to work or school?

 

[PaulKDX250SR]

Ride my kdx250 to work everyday. Perfect bike for slow moving traffic and urban commuting. Bikes up to 250cc here require no yearly MOT (Brit) or Vechicle Test Certificate(US ?). The onus on road safety requirements, eg, brakes, tires, etc. is on the rider. The 'Shaken' as it is called in Japan is once every two years. It is not that cheap.
As you can imagine there are a lot of 250s on the roads.
It is a very cheap form of transport.

In Japan they stopped production of 2 stroke bikes in around 1998. The last effort to cut down on emissions was Honda's CRM250AR series. The Active Radical system was designed to funnel unburnt fuel once more through the engine in order to cut down on waste and high emissions. I guess this was the last real technical input into 2 stroke technology by the big Japanese manufactures.

The ARs are quite in demand, and good condition, low mileage bikes fetch a good price.

My next bike will be an XR650R. How are they RedChili ?

I will keep my KDX as well, as long as I can keep getting parts for the bike. 2,000 yen about 20 US a year in road tax to ride around Japan on a KDX. Fool not to !

 

[duke]

Japan huh? I recall reading some 12-15 years ago about an article telling of the off road scene in Japan. Basically there isnt much beyond a few acres of land and some abandoned sand pits necessitating the use of lots of public thoroughfares between the various areas. I met a Korean American who raced MX in South Korea. MX was moderately popular, but open riding areas were virtually non existent

 

[PaulKDX250SR]

Not many places to ride in Tokyo area. We have a small track along a river bank, but it isn't that good.

There are many trails about 3 hrs south of Tokyo.

Motard tracks are happening.

The mountain roads around Kanagawa and Shizuoka are awesome.

The Japanese tolerance of bikers over is cool.

Harley is doing very good business. Harleys are very popular bikes here

 

[duke]

Those mountain areas that you speak of must where they shoot their off road tests. There is a Japanese book store not far from where I live, and they occasionally feature a japanese dirt bike maigazine called, "Grrr" or something like that. Lots of rider evals bieng conducted in the mountian regions. Makes sense since thats what constitutes most of the topography. Always wanted to visit there.

 

[PaulKDX250SR]

I know the magazine. It is an off-road mag, right ?

The Northern Island of Hokkaido is supposed to be the place to go for off-road trails, green lanes, and I reckon the mx tracks.

I have never been to Hokkaido, when I get a bigger bike, I'll seriously look into it.

I only venture a couple hundred clicks from Tokyo on the KDX. Not the most comfortable of bikes for long distances.

My fav place is a penisula called Izu. This is 3 hrs from my home. It is sub tropical. Great snorkeling. Awesome mountain/sea roads. Superlative views of Fuji. The center of the penisula has miles of trail. Not sure where you are from in Cali, Duke, but similar to the coastal road running south out of Monterey. Pacific Coast Highway (minus the mist).

If you come out here Duke, let me know. Hopefully will have two bikes soon.

Always puts a grin on my face to ride a Kawasaki through Kawasaki City.

 

[duke]

I appreciate the hospitality, but my era for "international travel" has and will be on hiatus for quite sometime. I live vicariously through others.

 

[Red_Chili]

My next bike will be an XR650R. How are they RedChili ?

Dandy. I am turning it into my dualsporter now that I ended up with the KDX for woods work (I'll suffer through it... somehow...<sniff, sniff>... WOOHOO! Oh, I mean, boo-hoo...).

My journey in green-land started with a KLX300, all the fun of a biggish thumper (My first thumper was an XT500, rode it BONE STOCK with trials tires and blinkers in Pike National Forest in November. Alone. Into the night. Before I grew a frontal lobe.), all the light feel of the KDX right next to it. It liked a pumper carb real well. Sweet bike.

But then I felt silly with a BMW R80 G/S, and wanted one bike to do it all, so I sold it and the KLX and bought the XR. Guess that frontal lobe thing didn't quite take. Mind you, the XR is a hoot, and on smoothish singletrack it rocks, feels light (!!!), and nimble, but get it in the whoops and rocks (like Blanca Peak in Colorado) and it will eat your lunch unless you're better than me (not hard to achieve).

There are three things you need to do to dualsport it reliably:
1) get the jetting right. The pilot circuit needs a 68s jet (not a plain 68). Often overlooked. That's at 5000 ft. too!
2) get Baja Designs to wind your stator for 100W output and put decent lights on it.
3) use the best coolant you can, use a high temp thermostat, use Redline Watter Wetter, and if used in traffic install a 12v muffin fan running off that dandy stator.

The only downside is the lack of an e-button. I think this mill would like a pumper too, I hear mixed things about the Edelbrock, and a Mike pumper is spendy. But it would work! Mine is dandy with the stock carb, tall seat foam and a Clarke tank (clear IMS would be more useful) make it more street friendly. Oh, and Bridgstone Trailwing 301/302s work great on the street and dirt too, best I've found for DS.

 

[PaulKDX250SR]

Thanks for the advice Chili-man. Never owned a four stroke bike before. Been riding 2s for 20 years +.

Very taken with the BRP though. Never ridden one, but sat on a few in the show rooms. Feels like a 250 mxer in the mid-section.

Wondering whether to buy a new one or a used. Gotta save a few more yen(s) first either way.

My bad talking about 4 strokes on your 2 Stokes Aint Dead thread.

2 strokes, when 4 is too many, and 1 aint enough.

and Duke the offer of rice, sake and KDX still stands.

Cheers everyone.

 

[duke]

What, no tea ceremony?

 

[Red_Chili]

You're right, the BRP feels much lighter and more nimble than it should when in motion.


Till it doesn't. <:-0

For those moments, my relief in green works just dandy!